The Trippy and Polar Express trolleys from Lionel get put through their paces by Chris Montagna from the Chris’s Trains and Things YouTube channel. These were announced in the January 2022 Big Book. Both of them are really fun to have on your layout and different displays. What’s so special about these trolleys? They’re small, […]
Scale: O Scale
Lionel Vision Line Norfolk & Western Class A
The Lionel Vision Line Norfolk & Western Class A has finally arrived, fresh from the Volume 1 2022 Lionel catalog. I have to say, this beautiful steam locomotive does not disappoint! This isn’t a rehash of the previous 2-6-6-4 model available in the Volume 1 2000 catalog. Thanks to all-new tooling, this engine is fresh […]
Quick takes on the Lionel 2023 Big Book catalog
The Lionel 2023 Big Book catalog is out. I just had a quick flip through it and here are my first impressions. I’ll tell you right off, this isn’t an exhaustive treatment and I can’t cover everything. Nor will you find any mention of the prices of these things. As I’m frequently inclined to say, […]
Exclusive Layout Visits Trailer
You’ve seen amazing model railroads of all scales highlighted in the pages of Model Railroader magazine. Now Trains.com Unlimited members can see them in action! Join layout builders, owners, and operators on exclusive, up-close, guided walking tours of the sights and sounds that promise to thrill and inspire. […]
Cool railroadiana, a dandy depot, and train repair parts on Bob’s Train Box 86
This episode, host Bob Keller shows an old New York Central coal service directory. It was a book the railroad gave to customers and those that needed to know the details of its lines in the Appalachians that served mines and loadouts. Then The host shows off a resin depot that looks at home on […]
Meet Larry Burk
Meet Larry Burk What was your first train set (or locomotive)? My first train set was a Revell freight train set my father built for me when I was 12 years old. I remember the switcher locomotive was Atlantic Coast Line purple/silver. My father also had an American Flyer S scale layout when I was a toddler. […]
Olympia & Sand Creek, Episode 5 | Updates and wiring
This time around, our intrepid host lets anxious viewers see all the progress he’s made to prepare the O scale (1:48) Olympia Logging Co. On30 layout for the next big step! From backdrop to tabletop to trackwork to scenery, David shares the extent of his off-camera efforts — all to get things into place for […]
Spaces to Places III | Making a highway, part 3
After touching up the highway texture and color, Gerry Leone takes the construction off road! In this episode, he works to install abutments and wing walls along the underpass, before building out the adjacent scenery base. Off course, Gerry makes the best laid plans, and then promptly calls an audible. Follow along to see how […]
The Lionel Aberdeen, Carolina & Western F9 locomotive set
The Lionel Aberdeen, Carolina & Western F9 A-B locomotive set is now out. The railroad – reporting mark ACWR – is a short line that, until January of last year, many of us in the O gauge hobby had never heard of. “The Carolina Route” runs between Charlotte and Raleigh, N.C. It hauls goods from […]
Spaces to Places III | Making a highway, part 3
After touching up the highway texture and color, Gerry Leone takes the construction off road! In this episode, he works to install abutments and wing walls along the underpass, before building out the adjacent scenery base. Off course, Gerry makes the best laid plans, and then promptly calls an audible. Follow along to see how […]
Olympia & Sand Creek, Episode 5 | Updates and wiring
This time around, our intrepid host lets anxious viewers see all the progress he’s made to prepare the O scale (1:48) Olympia Logging Co. On30 layout for the next big step! From backdrop to tabletop to trackwork to scenery, David shares the extent of his off-camera efforts — all to get things into place for […]
5 postwar Lionel collectibles on the rise
F3s, Hudsons, and Girls’ trains – those are the postwar jackpots that everybody knows about. Here, though, are 5 postwar Lionel collectibles on the rise. Models courtesy Joe Algozzini What’s hot today among postwar Lionel trains and accessories? I attend several train shows each year, check out eBay listings almost every day, and edit the […]